Change
by CrazyCatLadyVia
Summary: After an afternoon on her own in town, Yukina begins to wonder if she is so very different from the humans around her. On a whim, she makes a decision.


Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

The gentle song of a blue bird called her from her bed and followed her as she awoke and readied for the day. It came to sing at the windowsill as she combed her long aqua hair, tugging out the sleep knots, deciding to leave it down that day.

She dressed in a pretty new dress her friends had brought her on their last visit. The little bird at her window seemed to chirp in approval as she turned to smile at him, twirling to flair the skirt. It was a soft, flowy summer dress that mimicked the captivating color of a red rose. Her friends insisted it looked lovely on her and that it brought out her bright eyes.

Once she was dressed, she padded from her room to the kitchen, preparing breakfast for both herself and the master of the temple. Genkai was surely meditating but would join her promptly, as she did every morning. She waited for the old psychic to join her before quickly eating her meal, sipping her hot tea carefully before inquiring to the chores Genkai wished her to do that day.

The aging woman slowly drank her tea before answering, seeming to consider what chores were necessary. She brought the tea cup away from her lips, casting a small smile at the young demon.

"Well, the temple doesn't need much today that I need you to do. I'm going to go through a few things and reorganize my meditation chamber. There are a few things I was meaning to pick up in town, but would you like to do that instead? You need to get more accustomed to human society and a little shopping trip would be a good experience for you to get used to the norm around here." Yukina listened carefully, nodding eagerly at the suggestion; she yearned to learn more about her new home and the humans of this world.

The decision settled, Genkai gave the young ice maiden careful instructions on where to go and a complete list of the items to pick up, as well as a brief lesson of the money system, as it differed in Demon world. It didn't take long for Yukina to pick up on the information she was given, memorizing each word her friend said to the letter. Once oriented, she quickly slipped on her summer sandals and a very light sweater to cover her shoulders, took the money Genkai handed her, and took off on foot towards the town a few miles away from the temple.

There was little that Yukina enjoyed more then a peaceful walk along the near-deserted paths that lead from the temple to the little town at the bass of the forest. She'd been a few times before, of course, but never alone. It excited her, the independence she felt now. A brief thought of her dark friend, Hiei, flashed in her mind. Was this what he felt like as he wandered the sparse lands of demon world or the noisy congestion of human world? The thought passed idly as she neared the first row of houses on the outer skirts.

The shops were towards the middle she recalled, so kept a steady pace in the soft morning sunlight. There were a few humans about, mostly tending to small flower pots, hanging laundry, and other such necessary chores about their quaint homes. A few turned to look at her as she passed, staring after her with curious eyes. She assumed it was a normal reaction, of course, as she was rarely in the small town and thus unrecognized by the community. Still, their eyes made her feel vaguely uncomfortable and vulnerable. She sped up her walk slightly, keeping her unusually colored hues focused ahead of her.

The red dress suddenly seemed like a poor decision as it caught the eye so strongly, as well as her strangely colored hair. As a demon, she hair was not so very strange, the soft aqua not necessarily common but not unseen. In the human world, however, it was obviously not seen as a natural color nor as a norm.

She felt oddly relieved once she reached the line of shops that spread through the middle of the town. More people usually meant she would not be as noticed. Pushing away her anxious thoughts, she entered the first store on the list: a hardware store. She looked at the list and quickly went through the small aisles, picking up the items Genkai had written down. She recognized most of the things, but there were two she did not. Being practical, she went to the front and smiled at the elderly human man behind the register.

"Excuse me, sir, but can you please help me find these two things? I'm not sure what they are exactly," she explained in a kind tone. The shop owner looked at her in strange way before leading her to the racks she had scoured before, handing her the things on her list.

His uneasy gaze was obvious as it traveled from her bright hair to her strange eyes. Again, she began to feel uncomfortable under the stare, but managed to calmly pay and leave without giving her anxiety away.

Once the ice maiden exited the hardware shop, she inhaled deeply, trying to regroup her nerves. The outing was proving to be more difficult then she anticipated. Even still, Yukina was determined and did not allow small annoyances disturb her easily. She continued on, entering a tiny spice and herb shop next.

The potent scent washed over her sensitive senses as soon as she opened the door. The woman at the counter glanced up when the bell over the door sounded, eyeing her customer slowly.

"Can I help you, young lady?" the woman asked, in an almost wary tone, as though unsure of the young maiden before her. The nagging anxiety hit Yukina once more, an uncomfortable knot forming in her chest. Was she so very different from these humans? They seemed to notice she was.

Brushing the thought away roughly, she cleared her throat and smiled warmly. "Yes, please. I'm picking a few things up for my friend. She gave me a list of what she needs." Yukina handed the older woman her list, which had a very specific list of herbs and spices Genkai used for both healing and food. Some were ordinary, like pepper, salt, paprika, etc. but others were strange and unfamiliar to the ice maiden. Things like cactus root, munkwood, powdered salamander moss, and other odd things.

Taking the list, the shop keeper carefully went over the shelves, pulling down large jars, measuring the amount of each ingredient, before placing them in small glass jars and marking their labels in pen. It took a while, as the list was long and some of the items were on the high selves or were difficult to measure. All the while she worked, however, the woman would send odd glances at her customer.

It felt far too long for Yukina as she stood there, shifting her weight from foot to foot, keeping her eyes anywhere but the shop keep. Piling all the jars carefully into a sturdy bag, the ice demon paid quickly, grateful to finally leave the stifling store, feeling more then a little miserable.

The humans she called her friends never acted this way, so why were these humans so different? Did they seem to hate her because she was not one of them? Could they tell she was not human? Or was it that she just looked different from their own neighbors and community members? It unnerved her, feeling different when she wanted to much to be accepted by her new world, her new home. It felt like the ice village all over again…

The thought came before she could stifle it, the cold, bleak world of her own people. The chill of their words, the frozen stares, the shunned feeling they exuded to her. A flare of anger warmed her cheeks as she locked the memories away, forcing back her freezing tears. Taking a few deep breathes, she calmed herself thoroughly before continuing on to the final store. She would be quick and get it over with.

The last store was a larger convenience store where Genkai was having her pick up a few cleaning supplies, and hygiene products. Grabbing a hand basket, she followed the signs over the aisles to exactly what she needed. First she picked up the cleaning supplies; glass cleaner, wood polish, floor polish, kitchen and bathroom sprays, etc. It was quick, as Genkai had written down the specific brands. Turning on the next aisle, she began to pick up her final things.

She picked up soap bars, shampoo and conditioner, mouth wash, and the like, setting them in her basket gently then turned to return to the front of the store to pay. However, as she turned, something caught her eye as she neared the end of the aisle. It was a row of neat boxes with pictures of women with all different colored hair, each smiling at the consumers as they passed. Intrigued, Yukina picked up a box to examine it.

"Oh dearie, no, that brand is terrible. You'll never cover that green color with that red anyway. It'll just turn a nasty brown," a voice sounded from behind her, startling her enough to make the box tumble from her hand. The demon turned to face the speaker quickly, blood pounding in her cheeks as the blush spread.

Before her stood a middle-aged woman, smiling gently as she bent to pick the box back up. She was slender and very tall with wild curls of orange-red streaked through with golden highlights. "I'm sorry I startled you, my dear, I didn't mean to. My name is Leana."

The woman's kind demeanor and gentle tone quickly calmed the frightened ice maiden. "Good morning, my name is Yukina," she replied gently, smiling timidly. From the way the other people had treated her that day, she resorted to act as timid and harmless as possible. Leana smiled brightly before setting the box back on the shelf just over Yukina's head.

"That's a lovely name. Anyway, as I was saying, this brand is terrible. If you want to dye your hair, you're going to have to go darker and go with this brand. I think it's the only one that will cover this aqua color of yours'," the woman continued, moving over a few steps to reach for another smiling box, this one's model with dark chocolate locks framing her face.

As Leana turned to hand the box to Yukina, the ice maiden hesitated before taking it in her hand. She stared at it for a moment before looking up to her new acquaintance. "Um.. Pardon me, but what exactly is this? I've never seen it before."

The look on Leana's face was one of disbelief, at first, before she laughed. "Oh goodness, you're joking, right? I mean, you must be. You must dye your hair all the time, with that color!" She continued to laugh as Yukina felt the blush bubble up in her cheeks brightly.

It didn't take more then a moment for Leana to realize her companion wasn't laughing. A little confused, her laughter fizzled to a stop before she peered at the young lady before her. The younger girl was obviously embarrassed and looked genuinely puzzled.

"Oh my, you aren't joking, are you? You really don't know what hair dye is?"

"I really don't know, but I'm sure I don't want my hair to die if I use whatever is in this box."

This made Leana laugh again, before she took the box from Yukina's hand. "No no, not 'die', hair 'dye'. It's to change the color of your hair, to make it different. Some people use it to look different, some people to color graying hair, and others to look like everyone else. You can change your hair to be just about every color you can think of, if you really try! Now, what sort of hair color would you like?"

This was extraordinary! The smile on Yukina's face was like sunshine through a cloud on a stormy day. "Is that really true? I can have any color?" she asked excitedly, peering at all the different boxes on the shelf.

"Sure, but with some it takes a little more effort. If you wanted to go lighter, you would have to put bleach in your hair to make it almost white before adding different colors, like green, blue, red, purple, etc. For you, as I said before, I think it would be the easiest to just go dark. It would only take one time coloring it before it changed," the red head explained, motioning to the rows of hair-haired ladies on the boxes. Yukina gazed at them intently.

Most were soft, chocolately browns, some lighter, some darker. Others were caramels, more blonde then brown, and others still were in between colors like Shizuru's or Keiko's. As she moved down the row, a box at the end caught her eye. She reached it for, examining the box carefully.

This was very different from the others, in both color and demeanor. The woman on the front was not smiling, but rather inexpressive and glancing away into an unseen corner, looking almost bored. Her hair was also very unusual in that it was so cold, so very dark it swallowed all other color. The label on top read 'Purest Black'.

"Yes, that is a very nice color, but you'll need two boxes if you want to color your whole head," Leana said over the ice demon's shoulder. Yukina turned to look at her companion and smiled.

"Thank you for helping me, I'm very grateful," she said gently, bowing her head low.

Leana laughed and waved her hand. "Oh don't worry about it. I'm happy to help. Well, the instructions are in the box and I'm sure you can have someone help you if you really need it. I'll see you around, good bye!" Then she was gone around the corner, her flaming curls bouncing happily as she walked.

Yukina smiled after the woman then turned her attention back to the box in her hand. Genkai had given her some extra pocket money to spend…Something about it made her bubble with excitement, her happy grin from the early morning returning to her sweet face. Quickly, she grabbed another box, tossed them both in her basket and hurried to pay.

That night, Yukina sat quietly in the bathroom reading the instructions from the boxes carefully. When Yukina had returned from her shopping that morning, she didn't mention the hair dye nor did Genkai inquire if she had bought anything besides what was on the list. Something made the ice demon want to keep her decision a secret, though she wasn't exactly sure what. At any rate, Genkai had retired for the night, which left the young girl plenty of time to herself.

After reading through twice, she smiled to herself and began to mix the ingredients together in the squeeze bottle provided. Taking a breath, she released her long aquamarine hair from the red tie and ran a brush through to make sure there were no tangles. Then she donned the plastic gloves and shook the bottle vigorously to mix everything together. She watched the thick liquid turn dark purply-black before breaking the tip off the bottle cap.

Looking in the mirror, she could see her reflection staring back at her, the soft locks of green that made her so different framing her face softly, the bright crimson eyes shining so vividly. She took another breath.

Genkai had arranged for the group to come to her temple in the morning. They hadn't visited in a few weeks and it always made Yukina so happy to see her friends. Kurama, Keiko, and Yusuke arrived first, followed shortly by Shizuru and her chattering brother Kuwabara. Botan dropped in soon after, surprisingly with Koenma in tow. Evidently, the Prince needed a little break from sorting souls.

Hiei was the last to arrive, quietly and subtly as always. Genkai greeted them all at the front of her temple, ushering them all in for morning tea and breakfast. Kuwabara was the first, of course, to realize that Yukina was not yet among them.

"Hey, where's Yukina? I've been dying to see my true love! It's seen far too long since we last saw each other and I know she must be missing me as much as I miss her. It's enough to make my heart ache!"

"Cool the dramatics, Kuwabara. She's probably still getting dressed, as she tends to sleep a little later on weekends," Genkai chuckled, leading the group through the halls to the dining area; it was too cramped in the kitchen to fit all of them, after all. They settled around the large square table, even Hiei, and waited while Genkai went to make tea.

Quiet conversation ensued the psychic's absence. The gang had not been together for a little while and it was obvious the girls had missed each other greatly. Even the boys were more social then usual, with Yusuke and Kurama gently teasing the fiery Hiei, Kuwabara joining in though he didn't get all the jokes that flew between the three demons. Koenma looked on, laughing at the team's antics, though dared not anger the demon himself.

The conversation was interrupted briefly by Genkai returning with tea and a tray of steaming bowls of soup and a plate of pastries. They were just about to begin eating when the padding of footsteps sounded outside the door. Kuwabara perked up expectedly while the others quieted and looked to the door. It slid open slowly, almost hesitantly.

"Hello, everyone, sorry I'm late," the sweet tone of Yukina sounded through the room before the door slid all the way back. The air seemed to leave the room as all eyes fell on the ice maiden.

Someone dropped a teacup on the table with a sharp clang. No one turned to see that it was Hiei. Everyone was busy staring with open mouths, eyes wide. Even the serene Kurama and unshakable Genkai looked surprised, or shocked, it was hard to tell.

It was another few moments before people realized they weren't breathing. There was a rush as the girls stood to surround their ice maiden friend, all with the same expressions of shock on their faces. Botan was the first to speak.

"Oh my goodness! Yukina! I… I don't know what to say!" the reaper exclaimed, looking more then a little dumbfounded. Keiko nodded in agreement, her chocolate hues darting over the black that now darkened her friend's once aqua hair. It was moment before Shizuru realized the cigarette between her lips had fallen to the floor.

"Umm, do you like it?" Yukina asked softly, her hands wringing behind her back, feeling suddenly very shy. This wasn't exactly the sort of reaction she had thought of, but then again she hadn't known what to expect. Had she done something wrong? Did they think it looked terrible?

The question brought bright smiles to the girls' faces. Botan moved to embrace her then, holding her out at arm's length after a moment to examine the girl better.

Yukina was dressed in a white turtleneck sweater and a comfortable grey and black pleaded skirt with white socks. The white of the fabric and the paleness of her face made her now-ebony hair stand out sharply but beautifully. She had let it loose, only pinning one side away from her right ear with a red jewel clip in the shape of a star. The little ice demon looked like a completely different person.

"You look good, kiddo, and it looks like Kazuma is going to have some competition. Now when you go out in public, the guys will be all over you. You're a complete knock-out," Shizuru teased gently with a warm smile. Yukina gave her a gentle smile, though a slightly worried look flashed in her eyes. Shizuru laughed. "Don't worry, sweetheart, it's a good thing." Genkai smirked slightly from her place at the table, shock turning to amusement quickly.

"I think it's great! It's good for you to change every once in a while, and of course, if you don't like it, you can always dye it another color. I think it makes you look a little older too, which is always nice," Keiko beamed.

"You look absolutely gorgeous, Yukina! Oh, I really must say that I love your hair! It suites you so well, I never would have imagined it!" Botan gushed, turning to the boys suddenly. "Well say something, you guys! Doesn't she look amazing?"

The team just sort of sat, shell-shocked, it seemed.

Kuwabara was the first to move, leaping from his place to stand before his beloved. He grasped her hands gently between his large ones, grinning like a fool, unable to look away from her. A stream of babbling compliments and endearments induced a ripple of laughter from the room, bringing life and smiles back to the team. Save for Hiei.

Clearing his throat, Kurama was the first of the men to speak coherently. "It is a rather sudden change, however not an unpleasant one. I think the darker shade suites you nicely, Yukina," he smiled pleasantly. Then his dark forest eyes darted swiftly between ice apparition and fire apparition and he was unable to resist adding, "But with that color, you do remind me of someone… Hm… I wonder who it could be."

Beside him, Yusuke could just about see the waves of shock and rage emanating from Hiei. The fox was pushing the limitations of the fire demon's self restraint and Yusuke was caught between them. Despite the hostel energy surrounding him though, Yusuke fought to keep from laughing, his face turning red with suppressed laughter. For that, he received a smart crack to the ribs from the angry demon beside him as well as a black fire-laced glare.

Taking the attention off the hostel corner of the table and the previous incriminating question, Koenma continued with Kurama's example. "I like it, but I have to wonder why you decided to do it. Your hair was lovely the way it was." The question effectively drew Yukina's full attention, leaving her smoldering brother and obnoxious detective friend unnoticed.

Yukina smiled slightly, remembering the day before as she settled at the table with the rest of her friends, the girls and Kuwabara returning to their seats in her wake. "Well, I went shopping yesterday for a few things for the temple and as I walked through the village and the town, many humans began to stare at me. I didn't understand why, but I noticed how differently they acted towards me. They were so… so cold and suspicious, as though I would do something wrong or harmful. It continued for the whole day.

When I went to the final store, I noticed a row of boxes and a kind lady explained to me that they were hair dyes and they could change my hair color to whatever I wanted. And she also told me the reason people were staring was probably my hair color, so I followed her advise, and bought some. She had told me it was easier to dye my hair darker, and the black caught my eye. And anyway, it's a common color so I thought it would be perfect."

The explanation stirred the table, a somber air descending over them. A few dropped their eyes, staring absently at the table. Yukina looked at them worried, wringing her hands again. Unable to understand why her friends were suddenly so sad, she asked softly. "Did I do something wrong?"

Surprisingly, it was Hiei who broke the uneasy silence.

"No, you didn't do anything wrong," he assured, his voice precise and low, though he could not help the edge that crept into his tone. Yukina turned to look at the black-clad demon, her wide ruby hues shining as they met his. "You felt the pressure of being different and you felt shunned because of what you were. You wanted to change, to blend in, so those humans would accept you, and that is the only thing wrong," he continued, his gaze never wavering from her gentle face.

"You should never feel the need to change what you truly are, you shouldn't have to conform to what others believe is right or acceptable. You are a demon, and you are you. No one should ever have to feel that they are wrong to be themselves." Hiei turned his gaze away after this, a slightly pained expression flashing in his bright eyes; it was almost as though he was remembering something, a distant memory that no one could imagine. The fire demon did not turn his head back to look at the maiden across from him, only stared away at the far wall as he spoke again.

"You are beautiful, exactly as you are."

The room was still with an awed silence. Most in the room could hardly believe what had just occurred and sat stunned, staring wide-eyed between the two demons. Yusuke and Kuwabara sat shock still while all the girls stared open-mouths. Kurama and Koenma exchanged a glance but kept silent, unable to really comprehend what had just happened. Even Genkai could only stare, even as the dark-haired fire demon stood to leave.

Wordlessly, Hiei turned towards the door and strode forward, carefully stepping around the others. Just as he reached for the door, he was stopped by the sensation of cool flesh against his hand, clutching it tightly. He turned automatically to stare directly into the ruby eyes so like his own, now fringed with charcoal locks the same shade as his.

There were tears in her eyes, welling against her long dark lashes like flood waters in a levee, daring to overflow. A surprised expression crossed his features, one very much like the one he wore when they had first come face to face. Her expression wrenched his heart, made his throat go dry.

She was smiling. His sister was smiling. Yukina, smiling the most beautiful smile of gratitude and affection he had ever seen… And she was smiling at _him._

Before he could react, Yukina's soft hands had left his, instead traveling up to thread her arms around his neck, pressing the whole of her weight against his frame. The smell of her so near was intoxicating, like water lilies and fresh snow; between the scent and the contact, the fire demon nearly forgot to breath. Her embrace tightened, her soft skin and hair pressed against his neck and cheek. The soft_ tink_ of tear gems dropping to the floor a distant sound over the ringing in his ears, reminding him of icicles shattering.

Planted to the spot, Hiei had little idea of what to do. Hesitation froze him still, like a bird sensing danger. However, the softness of the ice demon's form, the sweet smell of her, and the gentleness of her embrace slowly eased his tension.

His stiff posture loosened, shock wearing away to wary acceptance, and he allowed himself to fully feel the body pressed against his. Yukina sensed him relax beneath her touch and only hugged harder, her shoulders shaking lightly with the tears that fell from her lashes. He was so warm, like summer embodied, the opposite to her wintry form.

"Thank you, Hiei, thank you for everything. Thank you so much for being so kind," she whispered to him, her tone quivering from soft sobs. "Thank you for being my brother…"

The shock of the words wasn't as powerful as he had expected them to be. Somehow, he had always known she was aware, at least at some level. Still, he pulled away to arms length, staring into the eyes of liquid ruby of his sister. She smiled at him, a friendly smile, her tears drying. Slowly, he raised a hand and brushed the stray drops away with a feather caress. He returned her smile, nodding to her before saying very softly, "I'm sorry."

There was an audible thud to their left. Twin eyes turned to investigate. Suddenly the loud roar of cheers filled the room then, bringing back the memory of their friends sitting not ten feet from them. The noise had been Kuwabara fainting, though they had little chance to check on his condition as the others swarmed them, their arms caging the raven-haired twins in with embraces and affectionate touches.

"Oh Yukina, we're sorry we didn't tell you, but we couldn't! Hiei made us swear not to tell, but please forgive him, he was only trying to protect you," Botan gushed, squeezing the ice maiden in a tight hug. "When did you figure it out?"

The chiming bell of Yukina's laughter sounded as she turned to face her brother. "Well, I suppose I've always known and I've always had my suspicions, but I guess it was too obvious when I looked in the mirror right after I washed my hair last night."

Hiei chuckled softly, brushing a piece of his sister's hair behind her ear. "I guess it's rather hard to miss how alike we look when we both have black hair and red eyes."

Later, as the gang dispersed, heading home after the tiring day of excitement, the twins were finally allowed themselves a moment alone. Genkai excused herself to bed, while Kurama, Yusuke, and the others headed to their own homes, all casting glances back with joyous smiles at the ruby eyed twins.

Once they were gone, Yukina took Hiei's hand and they wordlessly began to walk, following the paths of the deer surrounding the temple. The moonlight flitted through the trees, casting mottled shadows around them. It was Hiei who broke the silence.

"Was it really only when you dyed your hair that you knew who I was?" he asked, curiosity evident in his tone. It was not cold or distant now, but rung with a bell of contentment and lightness Yukina had never heard from him before. She smiled.

"Well… No, not exactly. I mean, it was a definite confirmation, but what told me really was… well…" the ice maiden seemed hesitant, as though unsure of how to form her next words. The pressure of her brother's hand around hers' gave her strength. She released his hand and stood back from him. "It was this…" she said softly, lifting her right hand out before between them.

A swirl of energy, warmer then the summer sun, flared around his sister, centering on her palm. Then, flickering cheerfully, in the center of her hand bounced a small, candle-like flame of gold and crimson. It crackled a few times before sputtering out, the smoke a ghost in the wind.

Hiei stood, in awe, as the flame flickered it's warm light across their faces. He looked to her, into her wine colored eyes, a strange feeling spreading through him like wildfire across a plain. As the flame sputtered out, he spoke.

"We're more alike then you know," he murmured, extending his own bandaged palm, resting it on top of hers', exerting an opposite force. In seconds, the swirl of energy surrounding his palm had formed a small, inverted icicle from the center of hand. He heard her gasp softly, the smallest of breaths sucked into her lungs.

She lunged at him, her arms tight around his neck in a gripping embrace. For the second time that day, Hiei was momentarily stunned, frozen to the spot by a simple touch. In his ear, he heard her whisper softly, her voice shaky with tears.

"Stay with me, forever, my dearest brother. I finally feel whole, being with you. You've been here for me the entire time, guiding me, protecting me, watching over me, so let me do the same for you. We will never be alone again, so long as we have one another."

Snaking his arms around her narrow waist, he tugged her tightly against his chest, hardly aware that their bones dug into one another.

"I will never leave you alone again, my sister."

Author's note: A little more light-hearted then I usually write, but this was written on a whim and it took me a few weeks to finish. I know, I've written a Yukina/Hiei reunion before but I can't help myself, as I am wholly addicted to the pair. I apologize if people seem out of character, but I don't think it compromises the story. Also, the idea of Yukina with black hair is just too beautiful to me.


End file.
